“The Cursed and the Blessed”

 “The Cursed and the Blessed”

 

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.”  

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.”   Jeremiah 17: 5,7

 

Some of the people of Judah had TURNED AWAY FROM God and had TURNED to FALSE IDOLS, and FOREIGN ALLIANCES for their protection.  Verse six, tells us what happens to those who follow these UNGODLY COMBINATIONS.  (6) “They are stunted shrubs in the desert, with NO HOPE for the future.  They will live in the barren wilderness in an uninhabited salty land.”  God was indicating that the person who DEPENDED ON and TRUSTED IN a MERE HUMAN, is CURSED because their HEART has TURNED AWAY from GOD.  And they are like a DESERT BUSH, they would not be PROSPEROUS, and they would be UNFRUITFUL, and would WITHER AWAY.

 

But the BLESSED are those who TRUST in the LORD. And they TRUST in the LORD who is their HOPE and CONFIDENCE.  Verse seven tells us that a RIGHTEOUS PERSON is BLESSED because they have PUT THEIR TRUST in the LORD and have made the LORD their HOPE and their CONFIDENCE.   (8) “They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach DEEP into the water.  Such trees are NOT bothered by the HEAT or WORRIED by long months of drought.  Their leaves STAY GREEN, and they NEVER STOP producing FRUIT.”  In other words, when DIFFICULTIES COME the RIGHTEOUS PERSON will NOT FEAR, but they will CONTINUE to PROSPER and BEAR FRUIT.  

 

Now, we have seen the differences between those who TURN AWAY FROM GOD and those who TURN TO GOD.  Those who DO NOT put their TRUST and CONFIDENCE in GOD, have NO HOPE.  And they are CURSED. And those who PUT their TRUST and CONFIDENCE in the LORD, DO HAVE HOPE!    Remember, the very FIRST part of verse five says: “This is what the LORD says:” These are the WORDS of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  And that means that this is HIS CALL.  

 

But the questions are:  Are YOU among the CURSED OR the BLESSED?   Do YOU put YOUR TRUST and CONFIDENCE in GOD or MANKIND?  If you are FULLY TRUSTING in MANKIND, then you are in the CURSED group.  BUT you have the OPPORTUNITY, NOW to TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and BECOME one of the BLESSED, by FULLY TRUSTING in GOD and you do that by:  ADMITTING that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who GAVE His Life to SAVE your SOUL from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY TO ESCAPE, once you are there.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and become a part of GOD’S FAMILY and a part of those who are BLESSED by the LIVING GOD.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!